Figure 14: Model of the OptoProfilin light-activated response in HeLa cells.
A. Light activated response under non-stressed conditions: Cry2-mediated oligomerization of profilin enhances avidity for VASP-rich focal adhesions, resulting in abundant focal adhesion recruitment. B. Light-activated response under stress conditions: applied stress results in enhanced Profilin VASP condensate formation. Cry2-mediated oligomerization of profilin promotes further binding and condensation with VASP. The appearance of stress phenotype in response to multiple stress inputs (energetic, oxidative, osmotic) indicates that a general mechanism may underly the observed VASP cluster transition. Image created with BioRender.
